As we wrap up 2017 (wow, how did that happen?), I’m excited to announce a new book that went on presale this week. I will never forget those months seven years ago working on the first edition, waking up at 4 am to write before my two small toddlers took over the day. Fast forward to last summer and my agent called to ask if I might be interested in updating Plant-Based Nutrition (Idiot’s Guide)and I immediately responded with an enthusiastic, YES! So much has changed in the world of plant-based diet and nutrition since the first edition in the book. And for me, the last year has been somewhat of a personal renaissance.

My journey to a plant-based diet was wrought with limited information, unintentional sabotage by friends and family, and wider social pressures.Many of you have experienced some or all of these, but today, nearly 30 years after my journey began, we now have unimaginable resources to help our plant-based journey move swiftly and effortlessly. In early 2017 we published a paper in the Journal of Geriatric Cardiology on plant-based nutrition and it afforded me the opportunity to review the literature for advances in plant-based nutrition.I added a co-author to that paper, former NASA Scientist and metabolic guru, Ray Cronise. He’s the guy behind Magician, Penn Jillette’s amazing 100-lb. weight loss and plant-based diet transformation. He’s been working at the intersection of plant-based diet and healthspan/longevity research and brings an entirely new perspective to the table.

Together we not only co-authored that paper, but I also asked him to join me on the revised edition of Plant-Based Nutrition (Idiot’s Guide).He’s gone back two centuries, to the very beginning of metabolism and nutrition and collected some of the most historically significant textbooks and articles. We have done experiments with food and metabolism and I even lost 12 lbs and achieved and maintained a weight I’ve never reached in my adult life this past year with this exciting information.

Our work overlaps perfectly and we have included that in this new edition of Plant-Based Nutrition. We have an entirely new way to organize food called the Food Triangle, which eliminates the popular, but contradictory, macronutrient-centered scheme of protein, carbs, and fat (we named it macroconfusion). There is information on the metabolic consequences of oxidative priority, which explains why we tend to gain weight eating certain foods. We use these tools to examine how a plant-based diet can promote healthspan through it’s mimicking of very successful dietary restriction without malnutrition research. We believe that a whole food, plant-based diet of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, nuts, seeds, herbs, and spices is the most enjoyable and easiest step you can take to not just live longer, but to LIVE longer.

Of course you’ll also find updated material from the first edition that covers nutrition information across the lifespan from pregnancy to athletes to seniors. We have new recipes from plant-based celebrity chefs such as Matthew Kenney, Dreena Burton, Jazzy Vegetarian, Kathy Patalsky, Robin Robertson, Fran Costigan, Jason Wyrick, and Matt Frazier. It’s a great getting started guide for plant-curious friends and family and its lessons are all centered on the solid scientific evidence we lay out in our journal article. Presales will continue through the official publication date of January 9th, 2018.

Thank you for your continued support. I am so excited about the upcoming year and the explosion of plant-based nutrition information.

As we wrap up 2017 (wow, how did that happen?), I’m excited to announce a new book that went on presale this week. I will never forget those months seven years ago working on the first edition, waking up at 4 am to write before my two small toddlers took over the day. Fast forward to last summer and my agent called to ask if I might be interested in updating Plant-Based Nutrition (Idiot’s Guide)and I immediately responded with an enthusiastic, YES! So much has changed in the world of plant-based diet and nutrition since the first edition in the book. And for me, the last year has been somewhat of a personal renaissance.

My journey to a plant-based diet was wrought with limited information, unintentional sabotage by friends and family, and wider social pressures.Many of you have experienced some or all of these, but today, nearly 30 years after my journey began, we now have unimaginable resources to help our plant-based journey move swiftly and effortlessly. In early 2017 we published a paper in the Journal of Geriatric Cardiology on plant-based nutrition and it afforded me the opportunity to review the literature for advances in plant-based nutrition.I added a co-author to that paper, former NASA Scientist and metabolic guru, Ray Cronise. He’s the guy behind Magician, Penn Jillette’s amazing 100-lb. weight loss and plant-based diet transformation. He’s been working at the intersection of plant-based diet and healthspan/longevity research and brings an entirely new perspective to the table.

Together we not only co-authored that paper, but I also asked him to join me on the revised edition of Plant-Based Nutrition (Idiot’s Guide).He’s gone back two centuries, to the very beginning of metabolism and nutrition and collected some of the most historically significant textbooks and articles. We have done experiments with food and metabolism and I even lost 12 lbs and achieved and maintained a weight I’ve never reached in my adult life this past year with this exciting information.

Our work overlaps perfectly and we have included that in this new edition of Plant-Based Nutrition. We have an entirely new way to organize food called the Food Triangle, which eliminates the popular, but contradictory, macronutrient-centered scheme of protein, carbs, and fat (we named it macroconfusion). There is information on the metabolic consequences of oxidative priority, which explains why we tend to gain weight eating certain foods. We use these tools to examine how a plant-based diet can promote healthspan through it’s mimicking of very successful dietary restriction without malnutrition research. We believe that a whole food, plant-based diet of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, nuts, seeds, herbs, and spices is the most enjoyable and easiest step you can take to not just live longer, but to LIVE longer.

Of course you’ll also find updated material from the first edition that covers nutrition information across the lifespan from pregnancy to athletes to seniors. We have new recipes from plant-based celebrity chefs such as Matthew Kenney, Dreena Burton, Jazzy Vegetarian, Kathy Patalsky, Robin Robertson, Fran Costigan, Jason Wyrick, and Matt Frazier. It’s a great getting started guide for plant-curious friends and family and its lessons are all centered on the solid scientific evidence we lay out in our journal article. Presales will continue through the official publication date of January 9th, 2018.

Thank you for your continued support. I am so excited about the upcoming year and the explosion of plant-based nutrition information.

One nutrient that likely will fall short on a plant-based diet is cobalamin, commonly referred to as vitamin B12. B12 is produced by microorganisms, bacteria, fungi, and algae, but not by animals or plants. B12 is found in animal products because they concentrate the nutrient after ingesting these microorganisms along with their food in their flesh, organs, and byproducts (e.g. eggs and dairy). Also, ruminant animals (such as cows, sheep, and goats) have bacteria in their rumen that produce vitamin B12.

In a vegan diet, vitamin B12 may be found in fortified plant milks, cereals, and other foods, such as nutritional yeast. However, if vegans are not conscientious about taking in the recommended dietary allowance (RDA), there could be harmful health consequences. Deficiency can result in potentially irreversible neurological disorders, gastrointestinal problems, and megaloblastic anemia. B12 deficiency is not unique to vegans who do not supplement. Deficiency is also a concern with aging, medication use, and gastrointestinal issues. So much so that it has been recommended that all adults over the age of 60 years supplement to avoid deficiency.

Interestingly, the body is able to store B12 for upwards of even ten years. To further complicate this, signs and symptoms for deficiency are either not noticeable or simply very subtle. So, if B12 is not being taken in at adequate levels or if there are absorption problems, deficiency will eventually ensue. Because blood tests for B12 levels can be skewed by other variables, irreversible damage may occur before a deficiency is detected.

RDA’s for vitamin B12 across the lifespan can be found in detail here. For non-pregnant adults, aged 14 and above, the RDA is 2.4 micrograms per day. To ensure this is absorbed (in a healthy individual, barring any possible inhibitors), higher doses are recommended.

The bottom line is that it seems the best way to supplement to maximize absorption and maintain optimal blood levels of B12 is for vegan adults (as well as non-vegan adults over the age of 60) should consider supplementing with these doses of vitamin B12:

50 µg twice a day OR

150 µg once a day OR

2,500 µg once a week

High doses of B12 are safe and there isn’t a tolerable upper limit that has been established. It is best to undergo testing regularly and adjust the dose as necessary.

Plant-Based Nutrition for Healthcare Professionals

Double celebration as my new article, Plant-Based Nutrition for Healthcare Professionals: Implementing Diet as a Primary Modality in the Prevention and Treatment of Chronic Disease, with Ray Cronise just published in The Journal of Geriatric Cardiology.

Further, this issue of the journal is a (very) special issue as it is the first one ever to be completely dedicated to plant-based diets!

Here is the table of contents for the entire journal issue, which as you may notice, is a goldmine of information that can be shared with your physicians, dietitians, colleagues, friends, family, and anyone else who is seeking to dig deeper into this most health-promoting way of eating.

This is solidly established in the scientific literature. Although recent industry funded meta analyses, designed specifically to confuse and obfuscate the health issues, appear to absolve saturated fat, this does not change the results of metabolic ward, animal model, and careful population studies of the past. Rather, they sift, sort and screen the voluminous data and use title, abstract, and conclusion wording to confuse.

Doubt is their product.

Hence the refurbished old news that hit headlines once again last week…based on this article, published in BMJ.

In this fantastic rebuttal by Dr. David L. Katz, called “Heart Disease is Not Hypothetical,” he states, “I confess I don’t understand why hypothesizing by several cardiologists who have expressed this opinion before, involving no new research, citing review articles from two and three years ago on the causes of coronary artery disease should be worthy of publication in the peer-reviewed literature.”

Yet it was. And, as usual, it captured media attention.

Nothing has changed. The preponderance of data demonstrate that eating diets high in saturated fat increases disease risk.

A whole food, plant-based diet averages approximately 6% to 7% of calories from saturated fat. Adding in one serving of animal products or tropical oils (yes, including coconut oil) easily brings that number to above recommended limits.

And it is not just cardiovascular disease that saturated fat promotes. This article by Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine shows 12 more reasons besides cardiovascular disease to reduce saturated fat.

Ignore the headlines. Focus, instead, on the overwhelming evidence in support of plant-based diets for optimal health.

How to Make Your Calories Count Without Counting Calories

No matter how we approach weight loss, all methods ultimately require the creation of a caloric deficit for results. Nowadays, with the onslaught of food and fitness trackers, calorie apps, step counters, etc., there are myriad ways to calculate and postulate how much energy is coming in and about how much may be going out. Despite these calculations and disciplined approaches to monitoring progress, there are several simple ways to effectively decrease calories consumed without much of an effort; habits you can change in your day to day practice which can support your goals and help you succeed.

Since you can’t out-exercise your diet and what you eat is unquestionably the primary factor in weight loss, here are 10 ways to reduce your intake significantly enough to make a difference:

Hold off on eating the first meal of the day for as long as possible.

There are no verified rules about how many meals per day are ideal or that eating breakfast helps “jumpstart your metabolism” for the day. Remember that the human body is adapted to survive periods without food (beyond just dinner through breakfast the following morning) and that skipping meals does not, in fact, “slow down” your metabolism. Time without food being digested and absorbed is precious for the body, as it offers energy for the body to repair, recover, and rejuvenate. Unless you are really, really lean, your body has enough fat storage to metabolize for energy in between meals. Pushing off breakfast as long as possible is the perfect way to offer your body rest and an opportunity to start nibbling away at your fat stores. This is why the concept and practice of intermittent fasting has taken off recently in the news. Drink water, sparkling water, black coffee, or any of the infinite varieties of teas without any added sweeteners or creamers. It will keep you satisfied as you stave off hunger until your body is really ready to eat.

Drink tea or coffee straight up.

Speaking of tea and coffee… If you do enjoy these beverages (as millions or billions of people do around the world), they fit perfectly into a healthy diet for most people. (Of course, if you have cardiac arrhythmias, high blood pressure, reflux, are pregnant, or other specific conditions, this is something to ask your physician about.) And, as I mentioned above, they can keep you going in the morning as you delay your first meal of the day. The only way people get into trouble is by dousing these calorie-free, phytonutrient-containing beverages with addictive sweeteners and calorie-dense creamers. These beverages offer the perfect vehicle for excess sugars, fats, and calories. My favorite Starbucks venti green tea soy latte, for example, contains a whopping 320 calories, 9 grams of fat (6 of which are saturated), and 43 grams of sugar (!). Hence, these are best enjoyed as special occasion treats. I am not going to pretend there is no adjustment necessary when transitioning to clear tea or black coffee, but you can indeed adapt with time (see tip #9). If you have ever made an attempt to lower your salt intake, switch from whole milk to skim milk, or switched from sugar to artificial sweeteners, you have experienced this process. This helps in the morning, when you are avoiding kicking in the digestive process with calories but, if you account for the calories during the day, when you are in fact eating (during the feeding window), you can enjoy tea or coffee with an unsweetened plant milk (or even foamed…a la latte or cappuccino style).

Eat only when foods like a crunchy stalk of celery or crisp apple sound satisfying.

The longer you go without food, the better everything seems. Anyone who has gone on a “diet” can attest to this experience…where everything sounds delicious and you can easily end up reading through recipe books for masochistic distraction (well, perhaps that is something only I used to do). Often, most people eat for emotion, stress, convenience, or opportunity. Doing so easily contributes to weight gain. Further, many people experience toxic hunger, a hypoglycemic feeling that may include shakiness, headaches, fatigue, cramps, etc. This is usually due to an unhealthy diet and is a sign that you may need to reevaluate your overall intake. (Again, please see your physician if you are experiencing these symptoms before jumping to conclusions.) True hunger is something that is felt in the throat region and the best test of this is pontificating upon whether eating a crunchy stalk of celery, a crisp apple, or any simple food that may not normally tempt you will actually satisfy you. At that point, eat a healthy, whole food, plant-based meal, including any infinite combination of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, nuts, seeds, herbs, and spices.

Cook more.

Eating out is a convenient way to enjoy a delicious meal without spending the time necessary to prepare food at home. And dining at restaurants can indeed fit into a health-promoting lifestyle when done conscientiously and infrequently. However, it is unquestionably more challenging to find food at restaurants that is truly free of ingredients you need to avoid for weight loss and for your health. Oils, salts, sugars, and flours are added in far greater quantities than would be in your own kitchen and calories are almost guaranteed to exceed your goals. Additionally, it is far too alluring to overeat when you are surrounded by access, excess, and hyperpalatable options. On the other side of this is the fact that most of us are busy. Very busy. And cooking is not the first thing you may be eager to do after a long day of work, kids, school, etc. This is compounded by the fact that many people do not feel cozy in the kitchen. I know I didn’t. And it was overwhelming to have to create healthy delicious dishes…particularly once I had kids. But cooking is a priority. Learning just a few dishes can mean massive control over your weight and your long-term health. The trick is to keep it simple. You can go all out and take the amazing Rouxbe Online Professional Plant-Based Cooking School to gain mastery over your kitchen. You can use shortcuts and order plant-based meal kits from places like Chef’d. But, you can also learn some very simple tips and tricks by following some healthy recipes. Here is a collection of some of my favorite recipes and here are all of my favorite cookbooks (and other resources). Batch cooking items like a large pot of rice or other whole grains, soups, stews, and chilis helps because they last several days in the fridge and you can freeze them and defrost as needed for up to a year. Keeping precut vegetables, hummus, tofu/tempeh, and in the refrigerator; and frozen vegetables, fruits, and whole grains in the freezer; as well as canned beans, jarred marinara sauces and salsas, and whole grains in the pantry; and potatoes, squash, avocados, and fresh fruits on the countertop will enable you to make quick and easy meals with hardly any effort. Some examples of super easy, satisfying, and light dishes include: baked potatoes with salsa and canned beans; frozen stir-fry vegetables sautéed in water or vegetable broth over brown rice; or beans with precut veggies, salsa, and avocado in a bowl or in a whole grain tortilla. In fact, it doesn’t get any easier than these 50 whole food plant-based recipes with 5 ingredients or less. You will save hundreds or thousands of calories each day that you prepare your meals at home. Keep it simple for sustainable results.

Prioritize vegetables and fruits.

Everyone, from the American Institute for Cancer Research to the USDA, agrees that at least half of your plate should come from fruits and vegetables. Forget “5 a day,” new research supports aiming for at least 10 daily servings. Not only do fruits and vegetables provide unparalleled health benefits, but they play a pivotal role in weight loss with their very low calorie density and high satiety factor. Prioritize these food groups every single day to maximize weight loss and help reduce your risk for chronic disease. Aim to eat a huge salad with everything you enjoy mixed in, which could include leafy greens, steamed or roasted vegetables, shredded veggies, slaw, artichoke hearts, potatoes, corn, fresh herbs, beans, lentils, tofu, tempeh, hummus, sun dried tomatoes, onions, sautéed mushrooms, avocado, fruit, cooked whole grains, leftovers from yesterday, etc., etc. Essentially, there is no limit to the creative combinations possible. Here are 40 fun recipes to inspire you. And topping it off with a delicious dressing or sauce, like one of these healthy options, helps you enjoy salads and vegetables even more. Include cooked vegetables, especially leafy greens, each day, using them as a bed to lay the rest of your meal upon or plate them on the side. Whipping up a batch of soup, stew, or chili to enjoy throughout the week is the ultimate fast food. Here are 30 delicious recipes you can try. Experiment with new items to build your repertoire and have fun with them. While eating fruit may be easier for many people to consume, vegetables can be sexy and super delicious as they take center stage on your plate.

Minimize or eliminate oils. All oils.

One of the easiest ways to cut out hundreds – or even thousands – of calories each week is to simply cut down on oils. All oils (yes, even olive oil and coconut oil) are 100 percent pure fat, containing 120 calories and 14 grams of fat. One cup of oil contains more than 2000 calories…an entire day’s worth for most people! And just think of how easy it is to drizzle a half cup of oil over a salad, or in the pan to sauté, or to dunk your bread in at a restaurant. Boom. 1000 calories added right there. Further, there is zero fiber and many of the nutrients that started in the olive or soybean are extracted out. Fortunately, it is easy to cook without oil. You can sauté with water, vegetable broth, vinegar, or other liquid; use beans, silken tofu, nuts, or seeds to whip up a creamy dressing; and bake with mashed banana, applesauce or other fruit purees, silken tofu, or mashed avocado. All of these hundreds of options are oil-free and offer examples on how to modify your cooking. Eating out, however, makes it much more challenging to avoid oil. Ask for foods steamed, grilled, baked, or roasted without oil, and use vinegars, salsa, guacamole, lemon or lime juice, or hot sauce as salad dressing.

Focus on your food and shut down all distractions while you eat.

We make approximately 200 food choices a day, which matters immensely when you consider the fact that diet is the number one cause of early death and disability in the United States. There are many reasons we overeat, mostly due to social pressures and accessibility. But, practicing mindfulness is an excellent way to help avoid overeating. Shut down the television, close your laptop, and put the phone down (a challenge for many of us) while you sit down to a meal. With an emphasis on the word sit. Instead of noshing while standing, walking, driving, or skateboarding, or even just taking bites here and there throughout the day, try to create rituals when eating a meal. While it doesn’t have to include candlelight and background music (although that is a lovely tone to set anytime you’re in the mood), there is a happy middle ground between getting fancy and getting to the bottom of a tub of popcorn without remembering enjoying it. Try tactics like choosing dishware and utensils you love, plating your meal prettily, and putting utensils down between bites to bring in the zen and help you be present.

Chew.

Although it sounds so simple and perhaps trivial, chewing is a lost art. From the moment food enters your mouth, a cascade of mechanical and biochemical reactions rev up to start the complex digestive process. While there is a host of psychobiological implications of chewing, an incentive to slow down and chew better includes that it may help reduce hunger and food intake.

Train your taste buds away from hyperpalatable food.

Sugar, oil, salt, more sugar, more oil, more salt… Pick your poison, but let there be no doubt that the food industry has masterminded your palate. Extensive science is at play making certain “you really can’t eat just one,” as the goal is to enhance their products for your eating pleasure. Hooking consumers on products in a similar manner used to make the cigarette industry so successful is a motivation of the food industry. There is sugar, oil, and salt in everything from the obvious chips, cookies, and candies to the less obvious breads, dried fruits, and dressings/sauces. Research has found similar neurological and behavioral responses to these highly processed foods as to substances that cause addiction. While there are biological reasons we fall into the “pleasure trap,” and there are powerful pressures at play that exacerbate that biology, it is indeed possible to break the food seduction. One of the best ways to bypass this system is to recalibrate your taste buds by setting a few weeks aside and committing to eating whole, intact foods without exception. This is simple, but not easy. If you are motivated to make it happen, you can move beyond the challenging first few weeks and feel liberated and empowered from thereon forward.

Stop eating at least three hours before bed.

Similar to holding off on your first meal of the day, ending your feeding window earlier in the evening enables your body to complete the energy-intensive process of digesting and absorbing food. There appears to be circadian explanations for why it is best to stop eating earlier, but there are also behavioral elements, such as decision fatigue, that come into play. Being tired reduces your ability to resist tempting (usually less-than-ideal) foods, no matter how much willpower you may have. Making this choice can become habitual over time and usually requires some scheduling adjustments.

As you may have noticed, there are no recommendations listed above to count calories or fat grams, to cut out carbs, or to exercise harder. This is because the weight loss industry’s loud messaging simply has not worked. It is time that we shift our focus to foods, behaviors, and social pressures in order to ameliorate the issues so many of us struggle with in terms of achieving and sustaining our ideal body weight.

A simple, traditional dish, this combination satisfies as a perfect appetizer. Hearty in texture, but zesty and light in flavor, you can throw this together in minutes and enjoy as a light snack in the afternoon or before dinner.

1. Layer the tomato slices on a large plate. Evenly place the basil leaves over the tomatoes, followed by the tofu slices. Drizzle the vinegar over all.
2. Serve immediately or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
Note: You can use your favorite regular balsamic vinegar as is, or try reducing it. Using at least triple the amount of vinegar called for in the recipe in a saucepan (you can store the leftovers in the refrigerator for up to a week), bring the vinegar to a boil over medium heat, and then reduce the heat to low and simmer until at desired thickness, at least 20 to 30 minutes.

Hummus of the Earth

Hummus should be a food group with its infinite combinations of ways to enjoy. With the addition of cannellini beans and spices, this essential version is earthy, warm, and classic. Use it in sandwiches, as a dip, or in salad.

Haven’t ditched dairy yet?

Here are 6 serious reasons to just do it:

1. As per Dr. Michael Klaper, the purpose of cow’s milk is to help a baby calf grow, grow, grow as fast as possible. Dairy is hormonally active…intentionally. But once we are full-sized adults, growth is not a positive thing…it inspires cancer growth and contributes to other health problems.

2. Upwards of 70% (or more) of the world’s population is lactose-intolerant. The fact that more people than not react with painful gastrointestinal symptoms upon consumption of dairy demonstrates the fact that the human body is not intended to consume it. Doctors and dietitians are now pushing the use of lactase enzymes and other symptom-relieving medications in order to ensure “adequate” intake of dairy products. Yet, if we have to force our bodies to accept something it doesn’t want, shouldn’t that be a sign that something is wrong?

3. You do not need dairy for healthy bones. There are excellent plant-sources of calcium that are alkalizing and support bone health. Broccoli, kale, bok choy, other leafy green veggies, sesame seeds, tahini, calcium-set tofu, almonds, and fortified plant milks/juices all have adequate amounts of calcium to meet daily requirements. In fact, calcium in kale is absorbed 30% better than from dairy!

4. People are always concerned about the phytoestrogens in soy foods. Yet, dairy has estradiol, natural animal/human-based estrogen, which is 10,000 times more potent than environmental or phytoestrogens.

6. There is a currently a wall o’ milks that are plant-based and delicious at your neighborhood grocer. Choose between almond milk, soy milk, hemp milk, oat milk, coconut milk, flax milk, rice milk, chocolate almond milk, horchata rice milk, vanilla soy milk, almond-coconut milk, and the hundreds of other varieties now available. Exciting, decadent, creative, and much healthier….dairy milk is indeed jealous! So jealous that Big Dairy recently approached the FDA to intervene and make it illegal for plant milks to be called “milk.” However, consumers are not buying plant-based milk because they’ve been tricked into believing they actually came from a cow. They’re buying plant milk because it’s healthier, cruelty-free, and easier on our planet.

Don’t Just Survive the Holidays. Thrive Through Them…

Still battling a post-Thanksgiving Tofurky trance? A mashed potato murk? A pumpkin pie high? Instead of waiting for January to climb back up on the healthy wagon and out of the food fog, why not start now? Mitigate the mayhem of the season and bump up the body love fest with these 6 simple tips:

Persist with fitness. It is all too easy to let your routine slip to the sidelines with traveling, festivities, and busier schedules that are typical this time of year. But that is why it is even more important to stay the course and squeeze it in. However you can, make it happen. Turn social gatherings into bonding fit fests by going for a walk or taking an exercise class together, or doing yoga in the living room before a meal or first thing in the morning. Social support is superb in stick-to-it-ness. Try literally entering your workout onto your calendar weeks (or at least days) ahead of time to ensure it happens.

Start with fruits or veggies at every meal. Since fruits and veggies both offer the fewest calories per gram than any other foods and are high in satiating fiber, these are the ideal items to preferentiate at every meal. Studies have found that starting your meal with a piece of fruit, salad, or soup decreases overall caloric intake at a meal.

Predict, plan, and prepare. Know where your next meal will be and make arrangements to have healthy options wherever that may be. Traveling? Here are some Healthy Travel Tips. Dining out? Here are my Top 5 Tips for Dining Out. Visiting friends or family? Ask to bring a wholesome dish or two for yourself and to share.

Opt out instead of pushing portion control. Sometimes just saying “no” is so much easier. Otherwise, that first bite of hyperpalatable food stimulates the hormonal cascade that kicks in and seduces you into “just one more bite”…and “one last one”…and on and on down that rabbit hole.

The Power of Plant-Based Diets Validated Once Again in Recent Research

According to abundant scientific support, plant-based diets have consistently been associated with not only significant health advantages, but also nutrient adequacy. Despite headlines blaring out messages of deficiency and danger, the evidence continues to show otherwise.

Two brand new compelling papers were published expressing the safety, adequacy, and powerful health benefits of eating plants…

First, The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, the leading organization for nutrition experts, Registered Dietitians, updated their Position Paper on Vegetarian Diets. Here is the abstract:

Here is the link for the position paper to share with your physicians and other healthcare practitioners, friends or family, or anyone concerned about a plant-based diet, which is actually the most health-promoting, disease-fighting, sustainable, nutrient-dense way of eating possible.

This Food Triangle is a tool to understand the energy density of different diet schemes:

Western diets are “bottom feeders,” consuming combinations of the most energy-dense foods: meat and potatoes, fish and chips, pasta and meat sauce, burger and fries.

Paleo diets, on the left side of the triangle minimize energy from starch, which is why they may lose weight initially (while still missing out on critical nutrients found in plant foods such as beans and whole grains).

Vegan diets, on the right side of the triangle, omit the energy-dense animal products and focus on nutrient-dense, disease-fighting whole plant foods. When leaving out oils, sugars, salts, and flours, this offers the most nutritional bang for the caloric buck with all the ingredients for easy weight management and long-term health.

This paper is disruptive as the authors debunk deeply ingrained myths, clarifying that: